Richard J. Kuzminczuk

Richard J. Kuzminczuk passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, January 27th, 2021 at the age of 71. He had been battling stage four colon cancer since his diagnosis in September 2019. Rich was born to Marian Kuzminczuk and Janina Włodarczyk in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1951. He grew up in Manville, NJ with his parents and brother, Sigmunt Klamka. Rich worked in a teaching position for most of his life, including Northover Schools, part of Somerset County Educational Services Commission, and then Spotswood High School as a Graphic Arts/Photography/TV teacher until his retirement in 2006. During his time at Spotswood, Rich also worked as the Printing Supervisor, continuing until his passing. Rich married Linda June Philpotts on October 9, 1982 and they relocated to Howell, NJ in 1984. Rich took pleasure in tinkering with home projects, including fixing things, and began collecting and repairing reel-to-reels later in life. He was known for his sense of humor and jokes, as well as his willingness to lend a hand to anyone who needed help. Rich is survived by his wife, Linda Kuzminczuk; daughter, Jennifer Beattie; brother, Sigmunt Klamka; niece, Lisa Klamka; and nephew, Christopher Klamka. Rich had many friends and loved socializing with people; however, his wishes were that his remains be cremated without a funeral service. Rich preferred for everyone to remember the good memories and celebrate his life. While he did not have any specific wishes regarding memorial donations, his family asks that any memorial funds be donated to the American Cancer Society to help fund further research treatments and increase knowledge of potential cures for colon cancer, or to your local animal shelter to honor Rich's love of animals. Thank you to the offices of Dr. Jeffrey Koretzky and staff at Howell Medical Center, his primary physician for over 20 years; and a special thanks to Dr. Ethan Wasserman and his team at Regional Cancer Care Associates, who worked tirelessly with Rich during the last year of his life to try different chemotherapy treatments and make him comfortable. Thank you to the Board of Education and staff of Spotswood Schools, members of Spotswood Police and Fire Departments, Spotswood Office on Aging, and other community associations in Spotswood for their friendship and support during the past several years. And a special thank you to Joseph Schwartz of Spotswood High School, for assisting Rich with all his printing tasks when this disease made it too difficult for him to complete the projects. He appreciated the opportunity to continue not only these friendships after retirement, but also his support of the community.